Union contracts, budget, to be debated Friday

By APRIL GUILMET
Union Leader Correspondent
LONDONDERRY -- Residents will be given the chance to offer their opinions on nine proposed warrant articles, including two collective bargaining agreements, this Friday when the Londonderry School District hosts its annual school deliberative session.
Five hundred residents are required to attend the session in order to make changes on the warrant items.
The first article on the warrant is for the election of two three-year school board terms, and the second is an amended operating budget of $63,222,575.
If the proposed budget passes, the estimated tax impact would be $12.44 per thousand dollars of assessed property value.
Article 3, a collective bargaining agreement between the school district and its support staff union, would require the district to raise $15,595 in the coming fiscal year, with an estimated tax impact of 1 cent. The union consists of the district’s monitors, clerical assistants, office assistants, instructional assistants, special education assistants, library/media and computer assistants, bookkeepers, 504 assistants and administrative assistants.
Should Article 3 fail to pass, voters will consider a special meeting to address cost items via Article 4.
Article 5, a collective bargaining agreement with the district’s custodial staff union, would cost the district $54,767 in the coming fiscal year and have a tax impact of 2 cents. 
Should Article 5 fail to pass, voters will consider a special meting to address cost items via Article 6. 
Article 7 asks voters to allow the school district to accept and receive federal grants and other funds to support the school lunch program and other federal projects. Selfsupported through local, state and/or federal revenues, the item would have zero tax impact. 
Article 8 asks voters to consider placing $275,000 in the school district’s expendable general fund trust fund for use on school building maintenance. Intended uses for this fund include one-time projects such as roofs, paving, boilers and small renovations. The fund was previously established and approved in March 1995. If passed this year, the estimated tax impact would be 8 cents. 
Article 9 asks voters to raise and appropriate another $50,000 for transfer into the district’s school buildings maintenance fund. The appropriation will be offset with revenue from unreserved fund balances remaining at the end of this coming June. Funds will be used to cover general maintenance of the district’s buildings and grounds. 
If passed, Article 9 would have an estimated tax impact of 1 cent. 
This year’s school deliberative session is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in the Londonderry High School cafeteria.